Pompano Escabeche

Pompano Escabeche is a crowd favorite classic Filipino sweet and sour fish dish made with crispy pompano, carrots, bell peppers, and a deliciously vibrant tangy red sauce. Perfect for family meals and special occasions.

Pompano Escabeche

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Prep Time 7 minutes mins

Cook Time 23 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Filipino

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  

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For the Pompano :

• 1 large pompano
• Rock salt for seasoning

For the Sauce

• Cornstarch for coating the fish
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup water
• 1 thumb ginger sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 1 small carrot julliened
• Red and green bell peppers julliened
• Oil for frying
• Green onions ( for garnish )

Instructions

 

• Give the pompano shallow cuts on each side. Season with salt. Dredge the fish with cornstarch. Shake off the excess starch. Fry in a pan with hot oil until golden and crispy on each side. Set aside.
• In another bowl mix together vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, cornstarch, and water. Mix well. Set aside.
• In another pan with a bit of oil, saute ginger for a few minutes before sautéing garlic until aromatic. Saute in onions until soft. Add in carrots and bell peppers, saute for a minute.
• Pour in the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the sauce all over the fried pompano. Garnish with green onions before serving.

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Where did this Pinoy Escabeche Recipe come from ?

Pinoy Escabeche or “Eskabetse Fish Recipe” sometimes called “Escabche” is a dish with Spanish roots. This was  introduced to the Philippines during more than 300 years of Spanish rule. The escabeche meaning -a method of preserving food using vinegar, oil, and spices. Over time this technique has been adapted to Filipino tastes and ingredients. Transforming it into a beloved dish featuring fried fish topped with a vibrant, tangy-sweet sauce. This localized version becomes a  lighter, fresher, and more vegetable-forward compared to its European counterpart. This dish is an open staple in many Filipino homes and celebrations. In this article we’ll be learning How to Cook Filipino Escabeche ( mainly Pompano Escabeche ), and making the iconic escabeche sauce recipe that reflects the fusion of Spanish culinary methods and Filipino flavor preferences.

Escabeche Pinoy VS Sweet and Sour Fish with Pineapple

Both these dishes closely resemble each other and have distinct flavor profiles and influences. Escabeche is made with a vinegar based tangy sauce with a  lightly sweet, and savory taste. Often topped over fried fish with sautéed vegetables like garlic, onions, bell peppers, and carrots. It focuses on balance and brightness, much like a classic escabeche sauce recipe rooted in Spanish-Filipino cooking. In contrast, Sweet and Sour Fish is a fish that leans towards tangy sweetness and fruitiness, with a slightly savory taste, Using pineapple juice and chunks as its main base. Combine this with aromatics and ketchup or  tomato sauce to create a thick, glossy sauce influenced by Chinese-Filipino cuisine. While escabeche is lighter and sharper in taste, sweet and sour fish is richer, saucier, and more indulgent.

Pompano Escabeche Recipe Fish Ingredients

• Pompano – our main ingredient for this recipe.
• Rock salt – for seasoning.
• Cornstarch – coating for the fish, to make it crispy.
• Vinegar – gives the sauce its natural tang.
• Soy sauce – for a bit of umami.
• Ketchup – for a tangy rich flavor.
• Sugar – to help balance the flavor of the overall dish.
• Salt and Pepper – to taste.
• Cornstarch – helps thicken the sauce.
• Water – dilute the sauce enough to cook all the ingredients better.
• Ginger, Garlic, and Onion – aromatics to help enhance the arima and flavor of the dish.
• Carrot, Red and Green Bell Peppers – adds a natural sweetness and gives the dish an overall vibrant colorful aesthetic.
• Oil – for frying.
• Green onions – for garnish. 

How to make this Simple Fish Escabeche Recipe Filipino Style

Ingredients 

For the Pompano : 

• 1 large pompano
• Rock salt for seasoning
• Cornstarch ( for coating the fish )

For the Sauce

• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup water
• 1 thumb ginger ( sliced )
• 2 cloves garlic ( minced )
• 1 medium onion ( sliced )
• 1 small carrot ( julliened )
• Red and green bell peppers ( julliened )
• Oil for frying
• Green onions ( for garnish )

Steps :

1. Give the pompano shallow cuts on each side. Season with salt. Dredge the fish with cornstarch. Shake off the excess starch. Fry in a pan with hot oil until golden and crispy on each side. Set aside.

2. In another bowl mix together vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, cornstarch, and water. Mix well. Set aside.

3. In another pan with a bit of oil, saute ginger for a few minutes before sautéing garlic until aromatic. Saute in onions until soft. Add in carrots and bell peppers, saute for a minute.

4. Pour in the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the sauce all over the fried pompano. Garnish with green onions before serving. 

Questions

• Can you replace the Pompano in this Pompano Escabeche Recipe ?
  • Tilapia Escabeche Filipino Recipe –  a simple recipe for sweet and sour whole fish. The only indifference is using a whole, descaled, and cleaned tilapia instead of pompano.
  • Tuna Escabeche Filipino Recipe –  this sweet and sour tuna is for those looking for a budget friendly version. Instead of frying the fish, use 2 of your favorite canned tuna, try to strain most of the oils before setting aside. Saute the sauce base similar to the steps before tossing in the canned tuna in the end. Give it a good mix, cooking until the tuna warms before serving.
  • Try a protein filled Chicken Escabeche Recipe. A not so common replacement recipe of fish escabeche. Using chicken chopped to parts, only the legs or thighs, or any part of your choice, following the steps on how you would cook the fish. The only difference is that you’d need to make sure the chicken is completely cooked when fried, around 10 – 15 minutes on each side. You can also poke the middle of the meat with a knife or fork. The juices should come out clear, not pink.
  • A popular seafood substitute is Escabeche Mussels – all you need are clean and debearded mussels, cook the mussels by boiling these in a pot with a bit of water. Cover and cook for 3 – 5 minutes then strain and set aside. Follow the steps to make the sauce and toss in the mussels at the end like you would the fish.

• Pompano Escabeche Additional ingredients
  • This simple Filipino escabeche recipe can be upgraded with just a few ingredients. Rather than making an escabeche recipe with ketchup, you can replace this with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, omitting the cornstarch since it will naturally thicken the sauce. Using tomato paste will enhance the savory flavor of the dish further.
  • If you prefer a more naturally sour and savory rich base or don’t have ketchup or tomato paste on hand you can also replace this with tomatoes for a “Tomato Escabeche” recipe.
  • Another option to add if you want a stronger aromatic fish, also to make sure that your fish of choice does not have any fishy taste try making this escabeche recipe with turmeric version. Add a teaspoon or 2 of turmeric into the sauce or the cornstarch ( then dredging the fish ).

Try our other Yummy Pompano Recipes :

Best Filipino Escabeche Recipe ( Tagalog )

Mga Sangkap :

Para sa Pompano : 

• 1 malaking pompano
• Asin para pang season
• Cornstarch ( para takpan ang isda )

Para sa Sarsa :

• 1 kutsara ng suka
• 1 kutsara ng soy sauce
• 2 kutsara ng ketchup
• 1 kutsara ng asukal
• Asin at paminta panlasa
• 1 kutsarita ng cornstarch
• ¼ tasa ng tubig
• 1 daliri ng luya ( hiniwa ng pahaba )
• 2 butil ng bawang ( tinadtad )
• 1 sibuyas ( hiniwa )
• 1 karot ( hiniwa ng maninipis )
• Pula at berdeng kampanilyang paminta ( hiniwa ng maninipis )
• Mantika pang prito
• Dahon ng sibuyas ( pang dekorasyon )

Paano Lutuin :

1. Bigyan ang mga pompano ng mababaw na mga hiwa. Iseason ng asin. Takpan ang isda ng cornstarch. Ipagpag ang sobrang starch. Iprito sa kawali na may mainit na mantika hanggang golden at krispy ang bawat gilid. Itabi.
2. Sa bang mangkok, haluin ang suka, soy sauce, ketchup, asukal, asin, at paminta panlasa, cornstarch at tubig. Itabi.
3. Sa ibang kawali na may konting mantika, lutuin ang luya ng ilang minuto bago haluan ng bawang. Pag mabango na ito, lutin ang mga sibuyas hanggang lumambot, halutan ng mga karot at paminta at lutuin ng 1 minuto.
4. Ibuhos ang sarsa sa at lutuin ng 2 o 3 minuto. Pagkatapos ibuhos ito sa pritong pompano. Dekorasyonan ng dahon ng sibuyas bago ihanda.